Chapter 1
“Aria, are you okay?” Jason instinctively tried to cover up the red mark Tiffany had “accidentally” left on his neck.
I glanced coldly at the “32” floating above his head, my eyes filled with disdain.
They say men hit their sexual peak at 25, but it seems Jason was determined to prove that wrong.
“It’s nothing,” I replied dismissively, turning my gaze to the glowing four-digit number above Ethan’s head. My interest was piqued.
“How old is your uncle?”
“He’ll be thirty after his next birthday.”
Ah, thirty years old. The prime of his life, it seems.
Noticing my odd expression, Jason wrapped his arm around my waist and whispered in my ear, trying to appease me: “My uncle’s having a birthday party next week. Want to come?”
“Sure,” I replied without hesitation.
Jason glanced at Ethan, who stood a short distance away in an impeccable suit. With his sharp features, Ethan was the type to command attention wherever he went. Jason let out a small huff, jealousy evident in his eyes.
“Aria, you’re not interested in my uncle, are you?”
“Of course not. I can barely handle you, let alone anyone else,” I said, pinching Jason’s cheek and wriggling out of his embrace. I started walking towards Ethan.
Jason was about to follow when Tiffany, who had just come downstairs, suddenly twisted her ankle. With a cry of surprise, Jason immediately turned to play the hero.
I grabbed a drink and approached Ethan.
“Uncle Ethan?”
Ethan turned, frowning slightly when he saw me.
“I’m Jason’s girlfriend, Aria.”
“Aria?” Ethan’s deep, pleasant voice repeated my name. My heart fluttered as I heard him ask, “Which Aria?”
“The one meaning ‘song’,” I replied with a smile, gazing into his eyes. Suddenly, a waiter appeared behind me and bumped into me. I stumbled forward, falling against Ethan’s chest.
He politely steadied me by the shoulders, but the drink in my hand spilled all over him.
“I’m so sorry, Uncle Ethan!” I exclaimed in panic, grabbing his wrist. “Let me help you clean up!”
Somehow, Ethan found himself being pulled by me to the empty bathroom. I frantically dabbed at his clothes with paper towels, my face flushed bright red.
“I’m so sorry, Uncle Ethan. I’m such a klutz. Is there any way to fix this?”
I bent over to wipe his clothes, looking up at him with red-rimmed eyes.
He looked down at me, our positions incredibly intimate as we stood there, until he finally cleared his throat.
“There are spare suits upstairs. I can just change.”
Ethan turned to leave but suddenly heard a soft sob from behind him.
“I’m so useless. Jason will be so angry with me… Uncle Ethan, please don’t tell him, okay?”
Ethan turned back to look at me, confused. “It’s just clothes.”
I leaned against the edge of the sink, looking at him with teary eyes. “But I can tell Jason doesn’t like me as much anymore. He and Tiffany…”
I bit my lip in shame, my lips trembling.
Ethan sighed lightly, remembering Jason’s irresponsible behavior. “I won’t tell him.”
My face lit up with a smile. “Thank you, Uncle Ethan!”
Ethan’s expression froze for a moment. He said nothing more and left the bathroom.
Only after he was gone did the smile slowly fade from my face.